A Fox for Thanksgiving
by AllTheSpruceTrees
Summary: Nick accepts a harmless invitation to Thanksgiving. Too bad it's fox mating season, and Nick is exposed to the changing of seasons for the first time in his life. Rated M for perverted, aggressive Nick. Prequel to THE BUSINESS OF MUZZLES
1. Chapter 1

Author's Note: I don't own Zootopia, and I do not make any profit from this story. I wrote it for fun.

I'd love feedback and reviews.

I left out a lot of minimal, unnecessary stuff. Let's get to the repressed sexual aggression, already!

 **Chapter 1: A Fox in Bunnyburrow**

Nicholas Wilde was about to celebrate his first real Thanksgiving. Not that Thanksgiving with his mom wasn't memorable, but it was never the picturesque scene promised in advertisements and TV specials. Judy had surprised him with an invitation to Bunnyburrow for Turkey Day back in October, and the weeks had flown by since then. Stake outs, perp chasing, endless parking duty assignments, he and Judy had done it all it seemed. Five days of relaxing and eating someone else's cooking was sounding better and better the closer they got to Judy's hometown. Nick looked over at his partner, napping in the seat across from his on the Zootopia Express line. She was breathing softly, mouth open, an ear occasionally twitching, and he could faintly hear the pop song coming from her headphones. He knew she hated being called "cute", but it was the only word that came to mind. Judy didn't look like the amazing police officer that she was as she slept, completely vulnerable, on the train. He'd seen some amazing feats of agility, stamina, and fortitude from this adorable little bunny.

Nick knew that he was falling for Judy. The little spark he felt in his chest when they danced at the concert, when he sat next to her at roll call, or when the 2 of them celebrated a closed case with pancakes in the wee hours of the dawn, that spark wasn't getting any weaker. His little crush was growing, but it was hardly in full bloom. He could still hustle her, egg her on without giving himself away. So, he had every intention of enjoying these few days with her before he became too awkward to be himself; he couldn't stop it from happening, so why not enjoy this while it lasts?

 _But, what if this trip does me in?_ Nick let out an audible sigh.

 _Well, at least there'll be 277 other mammals to talk to._

Nick was surprised to see how crowded the Bunnyburrow station was, until he realized that all the mammals were bunnies and directly related to Judy; they were ALL there waiting for them. Mr and Mrs Hopps looked exactly like he thought they would. Round-faced and sweet, picture perfect carrot farmers. There were bunnies of every age closing in on them as they exited the train. Who'd have thought bunnies would be excited to meet a fox?

"Everyone! This is Nick." Judy gestured towards him with open arms. Then, her face turned mischievous.

"Alright guys...get 'em!" Nick was soon crawling with kits, playing with his tail, touching his ears, looking at his claws, and asking all manner of invasive questions.

"Can you show us your teeth?"

"Did you really take down a polar bear single handedly?"

"Why is your tail so fluffy?"

"Can you give me a piggy back ride?"

"No. Yes. Because I'm the best fox there is. It'll cost you a dollar."

After a quick introduction to the parents, they all made their way to 2 giant hay trucks and set off for the Hopps homestead. Somehow, Nick had allowed himself to get separated from Judy, and ended up being harassed the whole way home by a sea of cute bunny faces.

"Why did you become a police officer?"

"I thought all foxes were mean."

"Are there lots of foxes in Zooptia?"

"Do you have any sisters?"

"Someone has to make sure Judy doesn't get into trouble. No, just me. Eh, not as many as you'd think. None that I know of."

They drove over hills, through cornfields and pumpkin patches. The air was crisp and cool, and most of the leaves were gone. Everything around him smelled and felt different. Zootopia didn't have typical seasons, and Nick took a moment to soak in a world that he'd seen and heard of in movies and pumpkin spice latte billboards.

The Hopps lived in one massive underground burrow (shocker, right?), but only the entrance was visible from the outside. There was also a bright pink truck parked outside, with a fox getting out? Nick knew immediately who that was: Gideon Grey. Oh, Nick had heard of him, his past with Judy, and his awkward apology. He seemed harmless enough.

"Tell me that's Gideon Grey with a truck full of pies!" He heard Judy's voice rise above all the others around him.

"Howdy, Hopps family! I've got all your Thanksgiving pies here." Stu and Bonnie quickly bounded from their trucks and organized all the older bunnies to take the pies carefully into the house. When you have 276 kids, you've gotta be organized. Gideon explained how to store and bake them over the next few days while Nick quickly made his way back over to Judy.

"I hope the little ones didn't bother you too much."

"Oh, it was awful. I barely survived." Nick made eye contact with the other fox. Gideon's smile was warm.

"Well, I'll be...This must be Nick. It's a pleasure to finally meet you!" Gideon extended a paw, which Nick took in a strong but friendly grip.

"Gideon, nice to meet ya. I've heard a lot about your pies. Carrots here wouldn't shut up about them."

"Seriously, Nick, they really are that g-you just wait and see!"

"You flatter me. So, you staying for Thanksgiving, Nick?"

"Yup. I'll be here all week." Gideon seemed confused.

"All...all week? B-"

"Judy!"Gideon was interrupted by a call from Bonnie. "Go round up your sisters and get them inside. I swear, weasels are easier to herd than baby bunnies…" Judy bounded off with a shrug to help her mother. Gideon turned back and repeated his question.

"All week?"

"...yessssss?" Nick held the last bit of the word, waiting for Gideon to continue.

"Uh...well, it's just that most foxes are holed up hibernatin' for the winter by now or they're leaving with their families for vacation to somewhere warmer. Me and the missus are headin' down south ourselves 'cause...ya know."

"Oh yeah, totally." Nick had no idea what Gideon was awkwardly alluding to. How'd this guy get a wife, anyway?

"Well, if you know what you're doin', who am I to say you're doin' it wrong? Huh. You city foxes are somethin' else." Gideon smiled, shook his head, and went back to his truck. Hmph, whatever.

The first day in Bunnyburrow went by in a haze of blueberry pie, warm soup, and toasted marshmallows over a fireplace. The Hopps home was an enormous web of smaller burrows. Nick knew Zootopia like the back of his paw, but navigating this place was going to be challenging. Judy made him a quick, makeshift map on a napkin.

"Don't worry! You're staying in my brother's old room next to mine. I won't let you get too lost." She elbowed him gently in the side. Next to...Judy's room? A little spark went off in Nick's chest.

"Oooh! I hope it's the penthouse suite."

Well, it was hardly that, but it was uncluttered and quiet. Dirt makes for thick walls. As he closed the door, unpacked his bag, and sat on the hay bed in the corner, he realized he'd been sighing a lot. Judy would be sleeping just on the other side of the wall. He had a thought. A silly thought. He knocked on Judy's door to ask her where the little bunny bathroom was, and he saw it; Judy's bed was against the same wall as his. Their beds were separated by just a few inches of dirt.

As Judy showed him on the map where the bathroom was, Nick noticed something else: Judy smelled different than usual. Not in a bad way, just a bit different. Had she bathed? No. Perfume? She was hardly the type. Her whole room smelled different from his, but they'd been here the same amount of time. None of the other bunnies smelled quite this way. He shook it off.

"...oh and don't forget to bring your toothbrush back with you. The little ones will gnaw on it if you give them the chance. Are you listening?"

"Little ones, gnawing, yup. Anyway, I'm off to bed. 'Night, Carrots."

"Ugh. You can call me 'Judy' here, Nick. 'Carrots' is hardly a distinguishing name in Bunnyburrow." Nick just shrugged and closed the door. Awkward.


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2: The Corn Maze**

Nick awoke to a strange smell. The same smell he'd noticed the night before, but it was stronger now. He sat up with a start. Was Judy in his room? No, he was alone. Then why was the smell so strong? He'd been sleeping up against the wall, and a cursory sniff confirmed it; he could smell Judy through the wall. Through the WALL. What was she doing? Why had her scent changed? He could smell the other bunnies all around him, but hers stood out like highlighted text. He dressed for breakfast and followed his smudged map to the main dining hall. Bunnies. Everywhere.

Bonnie greeted Nick warmly and loaded a plate for him with sweet potato pancakes, fresh fruit, and carrots (of course). The coffee was good though. Stu was regaling him with details about this year's harvest when Nick realized Judy had entered the dining hall. He smelled her before he saw her. She was greeting her siblings softly, yawning occasionally, helping herself to breakfast. Nick took a moment to glance her way out of the corner of his eye. Her pajamas were cute, of course, but the sight of a sleepy Judy coupled with this strange new smell made Nick choke on his coffee a bit. What was going on? And she was coming this way.

"'Morning, Nick. Did you sleep well?" She put a hand on his shoulder as she sat down next to him. What was she doing?

"Yeah, yeah, I slept uh, just fine. Never slept on hay before."

"Ah, there's nothing like it, right?" She smiled. A warm, inviting, sweet smile. Was she _flirting_ with him? He returned the favor with an equally warm, inviting smile. She had already turned to her breakfast. Nah. No way.

After a morning of eating and listening to Stu talk about dirt, Nick was ready to do something else. So, he, Stu, and the older bunnies set out to make this year's corn maze. The corn was taller than 2 Nicks stacked on top of each other, and it all smelled so good. Stu had a big, elaborate pattern that they were going to carve into the field, and it took all afternoon to get it just right. Nick was happy to be outside and, he later realized, to be away from Judy. Not that her new smell was bad, but it was certainly distracting. It kinda gave him a headache.

Late in the afternoon, all the rest of the family arrived, along with some other families, bunnies, pigs, sheep, and weasels, from town to enjoy the maze. Each group got a ticket with a time written on it. Their goal was to get through the maze in the shortest amount of time. Apparently, there was some large carrot-themed prize. Nick thought about trying the maze with Judy; he honestly loved to see her struggle, and this maze was a doozy. But he could tell from the smell that she had already entered the maze. Even through all that corn, and the smells of all the other animals, he knew where she was.

Nick had an idea. A silly idea. He entered the corn off to the side of the entrance. He wasn't on any path. He was just walking through the corn, in a straight line towards Judy. He crossed through the path of other maze participants who didn't hesitate to call him a cheater. And he did manage to spook a little group of sheep. That's always fun. As he closed in on Judy, her smell became stronger and stronger. Stronger than this morning. At one point, Nick stopped, and he wasn't sure if he should continue. What was he going to do when he found her?

He was about to step through another path carved in the corn when he stopped. Through the stalks, he could see Judy. It was getting dark. She had a flashlight and was looking around for where to turn next. He decided to follow her. She was going the wrong way anyway, so maybe he'd give her a hint. In the failing light, her little white tail stood out to Nick like a headlight. And the smell. As he got used to it, it wasn't so jarring anymore. In fact, mixed with the autumn air, it kinda grew on him. He breathed deeply and chuckled to himself.

"Who's there?!" Judy whirled around in his direction, shining her light where he had been standing a moment ago. Close one. She even looked a little nervous. Perfect. He trailed her for a few more minutes, watching her get more and more nervous. Her ears and nose were starting to twitch, especially as the sun started to set. Poor little bunnies don't have night vision.

Judy came to a fork in the maze. Going left would take her back the way she came, Nick knew. Right would eventually get her back on the path to the exit. As she thought about her decision, her tail started to flick slowly up and down. The flickering white was almost hypnotic.

 _That...that looks nice. Really nice. And the smell..._ Nick took a step closer and tripped over a rock.

"N...Nick?! Nick, I know you're there. Stop trying to scare me!" Judy shined her light all around her, but it was easy for Nick to avoid the beam. Her tail was flicking faster now, and her smell was wafting all around her.

 _Why are you doing that, you dumb bunny? Do you want the whole maze to smell you? Wait...is she doing this on purpose? Is she trying to lure me out?_ Whether she did it intentionally or not, it was working. Nick snuck up behind her. He only realized a second too late what he was doing. He reached out, hand up, and ran his palm along the underside of her tail from base to tip. The fur was so delicate, almost like it wasn't there at all. She screamed and swung her flashlight like a weapon, but he had already started walking ahead of her and turning right.

"Better be careful, sweetheart. You're gonna hurt somebody." He sounded cooler than he felt. His heart was pounding.

"Nick, you jerk! You can't do stuff like that! That's seriously not cool."

"What? You were flinging your tail everywhere, I thought you were trying to attract predators." He winked at her.

"I wasn-,I didn- Argh!" She stormed off ahead of him and made a wrong turn almost immediately. Oh well. She'd make it out eventually.

Well, that was a mistake. Nick could smell Judy on his paw. It took more control than he thought to stop from smelling it again. When he exited the maze and walked back to the entrance, he spotted a familiar pink truck.

"Gideon! I thought you guys were headed south?" Gideon and his wife were greeted by Bonnie and Stu at the entrance to the maze.

"Well, Magda says she ain't never done a corn maze before, and you've got the best around."

"We are headed out tomorrow to my parents house for Thanksgiving. We'll be back in spring." Magda seemed sweet and gentle. Nick rushed into the corn and caught up with the couple, startling them quite by accident.

"Gideon! Hey buddy, got a question for ya. Remember yesterday… when you were surprised that I was staying for a whole week… why, why were you surprised, exactly?" Nick hoped he sounded less concerned than he did in his head.

"Well, it's the turning of the season. It'll be winter soon, ya know?"

"Yeah ok, so does something weird happen to bunnies around this time?" Gideon and Magda exchanged confused looks.

"Bunnies? What's it got to do with bunnies?" Magda had a sudden look of realization.

"You're from Zootopia, right? First time out in the wild, so to speak?" Nick nodded. Where was she going with this?

"Oh my sweet word, Gideon! He doesn't know! It's his first time…" Her voice was just above a whisper. Now everyone seemed to understand except Nick. Gideon took a deep breath.

"Ok Nick. This may come as a bit of a shock to a city fox like you, but us foxes out here still go through seasons of mating like we always have. And, well, it's that time of year again. Time for finding a vixen, and hunkering down for winter. That's why kits are all born in the spring. I guess Zootopia kinda shields you from the autumn changes."

"What you're feeling is the biological urge to mate. It's got nothing to do with bunnies, they mate all year, but autumn is fox season. Get it?"

"Yeah, exactly where do the bunnies come into this for you, Nick? Why would you hang around bunnies at a time like this?" So, it had nothing to do with bunnies, but had everything to do with Nick's unmanaged feelings for Judy. His shock was evident.

"... I've made a terrible mistake."


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3: Thanksgiving Dinner**

So that was it. Nick's body had betrayed him and was getting all psyched and hot for Judy Hopps. Traitor. The crisp autumn air, the shorter days, all the scents and sights he'd enjoyed over the last 2 days made him a ticking time bomb.

He went back to the burrow on a different truck, but it didn't help. He could still smell Judy on his paw. His other paw held a key. Realizing the predicament faced by a fellow fox, the Greys gave him a spare key to their for fox hole. It wasn't far away, and he was welcome to go there to escape whenever he needed to. Nick was beyond grateful. Gideon warned him that it wasn't going to get better.

"If you think you can handle it, you're probably wrong. It's in our… DEE EN AAY after all." Could he really just bail on Judy and stay somewhere else for 3 more days? If he could manage to keep his head, maybe there'd be no need.

Bonnie and some of her older daughters had stayed behind all day to make Thanksgiving dinner. The smells of the kitchen were almost nauseating to Nick when he entered the burrow. It smelled like good food, just too much of it. All the smells were just too much right now. He had washed his paws 3 or 4 times before the smell of Judy was manageable. He went straight to his room and waited there for dinner. He must have dozed off because Judy's smell woke him up as if he'd been shaken. Then, he heard a knock on his door.

"Nick? It's almost dinner time." Her voice sounded so sweet and soft. He didn't answer right away.

"You ok?... Nick?" He really liked the way she said his name that time.

 _Come on, Nick. Deep breath._

"Yeah. Yeah. I'll be there in a second. " There was a long pause.

"Do you want me to walk with you?"

"I'm fine, Carrots." he sounded more annoyed than he was.

"Ok, well, don't wait too long, ok? You're kinda the guest of honor." Nick felt even worse now, like some mopey teenager. He listened to her walk away slowly.

 _Get it together. Don't be a jerk. She doesn't know what's going on._ Surely he could survive one dinner. He'd reevaluate the situation after that.

Did you know you can make alcohol from carrots? Well, turns out that the Hopps family makes some amazing spirits. In addition to all the Thanksgiving Day fare, there was blueberry mead and carrot wine. Both were sweet going down. Too sweet, perhaps. In an effort to distract himself from Judy's overwhelming scent, Nick drank a bit more than he would normally, and then a bit more than that. Bonnie was happy to refill his glass; the blueberry mead was her pet project and she loved seeing someone besides her enjoy it. It took awhile, but the alcohol dampened his senses enough for him to enjoy dinner. But, this was at the expense of his cool demeanor. He shared more than a few lewd jokes with Stu and the older bunnies.

"So, so wait wait, have you heard this one? What's long and hard and has cum in it? A cuCUMber!" Nick was hilarious. The alcohol told him so.

Their laughing was more like guffawing. They were all slapping their knees and spilling their drinks. Nick was thoroughly enjoying himself, but after the second broken glass, he smelled Judy come up behind him.

"Well, Officer Hopps, what seems to be the trouble?" he smirked. His eyelids felt heavy.

"OK, Mr. Wilde, I think you're done for the night." She had her arms folded over her chest, her subtly-shaped chest, Nick noted. She obviously wasn't as amused by all this as he was.

"It's after midnight now. Come on."

"Well, all good things must end eventuall-" Nick tripped getting up from the table, but Judy managed to catch him. He felt her paw just barely touching his fur near the hem of his shirt. Sparks.

"All right, lemme walk you back, big guy." Nick wasn't that drunk, but he didn't mind letting Judy dote on him a bit.

On the wall of the dining hall was a long poster that said: What We Are Thankful For. Underneath it, each family member had added something to the list along with their name. Janet was thankful for carrots, Melanie for good grades, Timothy for his first tooth, the list was as varied as it was long. Nick grabbed a nearby marker and wrote : "BLUEBERRY MEAD - Nick Wilde". Bonnie would appreciate that.

The walk back to his room was almost painfully silent. Judy was guiding him gently. Alone in the hallway, all the babies in bed, just the 2 of them. As the ruckus of the older bunnies faded away, Nick could hear his own heart pounding. For all the booze did for his sense of smell, it had heightened his arousal. His anxiety had faded and was replaced by a smug assurance. A confidence born from instinct. There could only be one reason why Judy was walking him back to his room. She wanted to be alone with him. Let's see if he was right. They were almost back to their rooms when Nick took her hand in his. She didn't refuse the advance, she just smiled at him.

 _Sly bunny. Playing coy, eh?_

"I'm glad you came for Thanksgiving, Nick. Everyone was so excited to meet you." She sounded as innocent as a poodle skirt and saddle shoes.

 _Come on, Carrots. Don't ruin the mood like that._

"Well, it's certainly been an adventure so far." his voice was a little sullen.

"I know your Mom must have tried really hard to give you the best life she could...but I'm still glad your first big Thanksgiving was here with us." Nick rolled his eyes and groaned, the last part being very much accidental. He was in no mood for sentimentality. He was in a completely different mood altogether, and it didn't seem like Judy was gonna play along.

"Nick, you don't seem like yourself. Whatever is bothering you, you can always come to me. You know that, right?" Nick didn't say anything. They stopped in front of their doors. Judy looked directly into his unamused face.

"My door's always open." Nick's eyebrows popped. Judy had given him the 'in' he was waiting for.

"Oh really?" He put his hand on the door, above her head and started to lean in slowly.

"So what you're saying is you don't lock your door at night?" he smiled down at her, but Judy didn't smile back this time.

"Do you think that's wise? I heard there's a fox about." he was leaning in towards her. Now that he was closer, he could smell her again. She smelled a bit spicier, more interesting now. He nuzzled up into her neck. She gasped and froze.

 _Well, that's not a no…_

Nick took a deep breathe in through his nose. It was like every hair on her smelled unique. He wanted to roam over her, know all her scents. He looked down, the gentle curve of her chest, the flare of her hips beneath that. She was completely still before she pulled her paws up to her chest.

"Nick, no… what are you doing?"

 _Well,_ _that_ _was a no._

He pulled back, looking more than slightly disappointed. It took a moment before he realized he was mostly disappointed with himself.

"Sorry, Carrots. I can't stay here." Judy looked confused and crestfallen. "I'm gonna stay at Gideon's place 'till we go back to the city. I'll come by during the day. But I can't spend another night in this burrow." He walked into his room, leaving her bewildered.

"Sorry." And with that, he shut the door.


	4. UPDATED: Chapter 4 (Final)

**UPDATED: Chapter 4: Going Home (Final Chapter)**

Everything about the fox hole felt right. It was simpler, less furnished than his apartment in Zootopia, but this felt as much like home as anywhere ever had. The dirt, small tunnels between rooms, it was a sanctuary. He slumped into a comfortable armchair and sighed.

 _So what am I gonna do for 3 more days?_

The answer was: slowly simmer for Judy in private. For the next 3 days, he slept in and left in the late morning to visit the Hopps. He'd given them some excuse about rabbit fur allergies. Judy regarded him warmly, but she was awkward as hell. He got to know a couple of her siblings pretty well in his quest to avoid being alone with her. Early in the day, he handled his perverted leanings pretty well.

By sundown each night, he was practically panting. He was exhausted from hiding his desire. There were no more close calls, no more sexual tension bubbles bursting. Of course, there were so many opportunities, but he wasn't that kind of mammal. But that didn't mean that he was a choir fox, either. He even snapped a few pictures of Judy when she wasn't looking. Arriving back at the fox borrow each night, he wanted to collapse. He felt consumed by his lust for Judy, and it honestly worried him. He'd loved and lost before, but nothing like this. Nothing so physical, so primitive. He'd swipe through his pictures of Judy, suddenly more aware of her shape, the slight changes in color. Was her belly completely white? What patterns of color did she have beneath her clothes? She always dressed so modestly, so all he could do was guess.

He didn't really expect Judy to call or text him. But she did send a text on the third night.

" _I don't know what's going on Nick, but I'm worried for you. Our train leaves tomorrow afternoon. I hope we can talk. I wanna help, if I can._ "

That wasn't going to be a fun ride...almost 3 hours on a train with Judy and her intoxicating presence. How was he going to avoid her? What excuse could he come up with to not sit next to her? His mind wandered there each night. No matter how long he thought about it, every scenario ended with him losing control and making a serious move. Usually uninvited, taking her completely by surprise, and her eyes were always prettier when they were wide open and looking shocked. He was disgusting. And he still entertained these fantasies. Justification came when he reassured himself that once they got back to Zootopia, he would be free from the clutches of autumn.

But what about after they got back? Trapped in a patrol car with her, seething with lust while on duty…how many more taboos could he add to his fantasies?

He met Judy at the train station with circles under his eyes. Another night of imagining her selfishly fulfilling his desires. She smiled gently at him, and he felt even worse. They didn't speak. While they waited for the Zootopia Express Line, big, lazy snowflakes were starting to fall. The air was silent as sin. The wind started to pick up, and even though he was upwind, he could still smell her. The snow had turned into a storm as the train pulled into the station. Nick was just starting to get cold, so he was grateful for the warmth. It didn't take long for him to realize that a nice warm train held smells very well.

10 minutes into the train ride and Nick felt like he was suffocating. Both he and Judy had been absently fiddling with their phones, but Nick couldn't stop stealing glances at her. At one point, Nick forgot to look away in time, and he and Judy locked eyes. They held that awkward stare.

 _Go on, Carrots. Say something. Don't make me walk away._

"Nick, I need to know what's going on." Her voice and face were harsher than he'd expected. He'd assumed her gentle, forgiving disposition would last forever; he'd taken it for granted.

"You haven't been yourself…the corn maze, the night when you cornered me, leaving all of a sudden to stay somewhere else. What's going on? I think I deserve an answer." Nick took a deep breath and was ready to answer when a voice came over the loudspeaker.

"Ladies and Gentlemammals, we apologize, but we've just received word that the snowstorm has caused a large number of trees to fall and block the train tracks."

 _No no no no no._

"We'll be coming to a stop shortly. We must wait until the tracks have been completely cleared. We do not have an estimated time of arrival in Zootopia at this time."

 _Are you kidding me? The universe must hate me._ Nick exhaled sharply and walked away. No answer, no sarcastic remark, no eye roll. All the other mammals were muttering among themselves, but he could make out (and smell) Judy follow him as he left the crowded passenger car. He just wanted to be alone.

"Nick, wait." Her voice was stern. She meant it. He made his way to the glass-top scenic car. There was no one inside.

"Judy, I'm gonna say this once. Stop following me." Nick narrowed his eyes at her. He wanted there to be no misinterpretation; he meant it.

"What is wrong with you!?" Unfortunately, Judy didn't get it. "Why are you acting like such a jerk for no reason? Did I do something wrong? We've been partners for awhile now. Don't you trust me?" She approached him boldly, hurt by some invisible offense he was hiding from her. Nick felt himself shake a little. Her eye contact was so intense, her presence so invasive.

"Do you trust me?" he asked. Judy looked shocked by his question. Perfect.

"Of course, I tr-"

"Then go away."

"What are you hiding, Nick?" Oh, he was hiding something. He had a secret, one he wasn't gonna give up easily. He snorted, and then smiled a clever smile.

"A secret. A big secret." He matched her presence with his own. She smelled so good, everything about her was pleasing. He moved in closer.

"You can tell me. I won't abandon you because of a secret."

"Really? How can you say that when you don't know what it is?" He looked down at her over the bridge of his nose and let himself relax into a role. A role he'd imagined himself playing over and over again for the last 3 days. It was like foreplay in his mind. Her reactions, the frustration that was bringing a slight flush to her cheeks, it was wonderful. He could cut the sexual tension with a knife.

"It's juicy. And pretty shocking." But Judy didn't budge. She didn't move back. Instead, she took a step closer.

"You're my friend. What could you ever do to change how I feel about you?" Judy got her answer instantly. Nick kissed her.

 **(((BEGINNING OF UPDATE)))**

Judy didn't immediately recoil, and Nick didn't wait for her to get her wits about her. He was on her in a flash, his paws gripping her so tightly it was almost painful, and he lifted her off the ground. His kiss was frantic, his body language demanding and desperate. He pressed her into himself; she felt so good up against him. Exploring her little mouth with his tongue brought an altogether new sensation, and he couldn't help but let out a small moan when he gasped for breath. The air tasted like her.

The little rabbit in his arms was still frozen. He looked down at her, breathing a little faster than he thought he should be. He gritted his teeth. She looked like a meal. He was still smiling a little. He felt absolutely predatory, and he probably looked it, too.

 _Say "no", Carrots. I fucking dare you. Say "no"._

"Nick, what…" she managed to speak out softly. Her voice was too steady to sound scared. What was it that he heard in her voice? He took her mouth again. Maybe he'd find the answer when he pushed her further, when he showed her exactly what he wanted. While trying to capture her tongue with his own, he pushed his paw up under her sweater. She gasped into his mouth when Nick found what he was looking for. Her undefended breast fit perfectly in his palm, the tiny bump of her nipple pressed into his paw. The fur around it was like down, inviting and soft, and he didn't deny himself the pleasure of kneading her breast, becoming intimate with its shape; it was his now. His other paw had moved to her ass, pulling her closer to him. He stroked the underside of her tail and pulled at it possessively. There's no way she could play dumb anymore; Nick wanted her. The way he held her, like she was already his, was entitled and sexual. Surely his erection hadn't gone unnoticed, either. This wasn't some angst-ridden confession of love, it was third-base, and it seemed to come out of nowhere. But Judy didn't know. She didn't know that Nick had started heating up ages ago and was now at a rolling boil. He wrapped her leg around his waist, and when he started boldly exploring her inner thigh, Judy tried to break free. But the grip he had on her was firm. He wasn't backing down.

 _What's she doing, pushing back? She can't not be liking this. She just can't._

A swift knee in the gut told him otherwise. He dropped her. He took a step back, snarled, and looked at her. Judy was flushed and confused. But she wasn't scared, just shocked. Perfect. Her reaction was perfect. She actually hadn't seen this coming. Poor, dumb bunny. He smiled to himself. He loved trolling her. And wasn't a moment like that one the ultimate troll? He smirked. His whole body felt warm, like he had honey in his veins.

"Stop." Her voice was firm. She didn't fix her sweater.

"Ha! Stop? Stop what? Stop kissing you? Stop touching you the way you want to be touched? You know you want this as much as I do." Of course she did. He watched her little chest expanding and contracting with her breath; it was quicker than he thought it'd be. He licked his lips. Her heart was racing like his own. He couldn't wait for more of her. She shook her head slowly when she realized he wasn't taking her seriously.

"What? Don't tell me you've never done this before." His voice was curious and sly. He raised his eyebrow at her. He almost winked. Almost.

But then her face grew dark. Her confusion subsided and was replaced by contempt. It was a look she'd only given the most hopeless of criminals, scum bags… and now that look was focused on him. He froze.

"What does it matter to you?" Nick felt like a spell over him had been broken. Nick looked down, then closed his eyes. It took a few deep breaths, a few frustrated chuckles to bring himself back to Earth. He was attempting to compose himself. He clenched his eyes shut and took a deep breath.

"Judy, I warned you. I-" When Nick opened his eyes, she was gone.

"I'm sorry." He said aloud, to no one.

 **(((END OF UPDATE)))**

Nick didn't chase her. He spent the rest of the train ride in the glass-top car alone. They were stranded for about 2 hours before the train was back on its way to Zootopia. Back to the warm air, sunshine, the artificially controlled environment. It felt familiar, but Nick felt like throwing up. He went down to get his luggage, and Judy was nowhere to be seen.

Nick didn't waste any time. He managed to catch Chief Bogo as he was leaving the ZPD for the night.

"Chief."

"Wilde...What is it?" Bogo instantly recognized Nick's serious posture.

"Sir, I'd like to be reassigned to the night patrol. I figure it's a better use of my skill set as I'm one of only 3 nocturnal animals in this precinct." Bogo sighed loudly

"So, Thanksgiving didn't go well, then."

"No sir, it did not."

"Are we going to have a problem with you and Hopps?"

"No, sir. I think I just guaranteed that there isn't going to be anything between me and Hopps."

 **THE END**

* * *

Author's Note: That's it. Sorry, but I just couldn't end on a positive note. I do plan to continue this story. It's gonna be smutty AF.

Updated Author's Note: Well, I turned a stolen kiss into a few paragraphs of groping. Yessssss. I updated chapter 4 on 12-18-16 to make their relationship a little less redeemable; I wanted to justify Judy just walking away from Nick and leave Judy's feelings a little more open to interpretation. Plus, I got to write a little tiny bit dirty. Yay for me! Thanks to all the people who favorited the story, encouraged me, and gave me great feedback. I am still working on the sequel to this. If you wanna read it, send the love my way in the form of a favorite, a review, or a PM. I'll get the message.

 **Sequel Preview: The Business of Muzzles**  
(PM me if you have a better title idea. I stink at titles.)

 _Despite his best efforts, Nick ends up patrolling an edgy part of town with the rabbit he'd most like to avoid. They're investigating a shop thought to be a front for smuggling drugs. Oh, and it's an adult shop that specializes in custom muzzles. Nick is intrigued by a display piece. His mouth got him into trouble, so what would happen to the tension between him and Judy if he couldn't talk? (Will be rated M for all sorts of wonderful perviness, I promise)_


End file.
